FURIOUS FOOTBALL

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 427, 7 May 1937, Page 2

FURIOUS FOOTBALL

ITALIAN AND AUSTRIANS Wild Scenes In Vienna London, April 17. Ths recent in ernational football match between Austria and Italy in Vienna almost led to a diplomatic "incident.” Fouling reached such vicious proportions that the referee, Mr. Ohlsson, of Sweden, stopped the game halfway through the second half. An international match has never been stopped before.

The police had to prevent the crowd of 40,000 from molesting Italian spectators. Italian flags were smuggled from the ground under police protection. The Italian team returned io its hotel in a poliice car. Mounted police saved one Italian carrying a large Fascist flag from being manhandled by the infuriated crowd. Austria, the better team, was leading by 2 goals to 0 when the game was stopped. The referee said: ‘‘l was no longer capable of conducting the game.”

It was more like war than foot/ ball. The crowd, which, at every foul by Italians, Iliad (whistled wid cat-called, broke into a hurricane of abuse against the Italian team at the Fouling was alleged to have been started by the Italians. An Austrian was injured. He returned after ten minutes and fouled an Italian. The Italian was carried off on a stretcher and the Austrian was ordered off. Then followed a series of fouls by the Italians, mo&tly out of the referee’s sight. Player after player was carried off. Four times the referee summoned and warned the :captains and trainers. Finally he said, “One more foul and I stop the game.” Then an Austrian forward was trodden down as he was about to shoot. The referee waved his hands, blew his whistle •-and strode oft.